


Rules Of The World

by Ars3nicCatnip



Category: Original Work
Genre: Bounty Hunter, Contracts, F/M, Fantasy, Love/Hate, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:25:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ars3nicCatnip/pseuds/Ars3nicCatnip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl is bound by foreign law to work as a bounty hunter until the day she turns eighteen. She's always worked alone and lived alone, but it is all bound to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rules Of The World

**Author's Note:**

> The toxic forest is loosely based off of the toxic jungle from Hayao Miyazaki's "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind." This is another rough work, not edited.

I’ve always thought alone was the best way to be; no one to argue against my opinions on the world, no one to hold me back. I like things the way they are now, complete solitude, with only a small mammal I’d named Tate as a companion. I’ve met many along the way, but most have had to have been lambasted by my hand. It may seem cruel to injure so harshly and thoughtlessly, but hey, bounty hunters have to learn to get used to the abuse. Besides, it’s not like I’m a hunter by choice. It was what they assigned me, my captors. I’m an indentured servant, only able to be freed by completing my demanded job. I don’t feel much like getting into detail, so let’s note that my home is no more, and those that commandeered it decided that all that inhabited the extinct nation needed to pay some sort of due. If we don’t listen, well, they have their own way of dealing with things. I don’t want to get into that,   
So don’t get your hopes up.  
The day now, had been normal so far. I’d completed a task and was on my way back to my client. I had only just entered a forest, known as toxic because of the poisonous plants and animals that reside in the closely compacted trees. I’d slipped a gas mask on, only because the air was not breathable. Tate had burrowed deep in the backpack slung over my shoulder to escape the tiny spores that floated in the air. A full day without a mask in these woods would leave you dead, no doubt. It was fine to go without for an hour at most, but no longer. Despite that, the lethal plants were amazing to view. It was enchanting to view the cotton ball like seeds float in the air, almost looking like snow. The vines coiled around thick trees grew beautiful blue and violet flowers which quivered every few moments, almost as if they were more alive than perceived to be. Brightly colored lizards lay on the vines as well, staring at me and poised to flee if I were to make any sudden movements. I moved quickly over the moss ridden ground, making almost no sound as I traveled. I kept one hand on the knife I kept on my belt, just in case I was to run into any hostile creatures. It wouldn’t surprise me if I did, they seemed to be everywhere; I’d just managed to avoid them until now. An odd sound echoed through the forest, stopping me in my tracks. It sounded like a scream, a human scream. I listened, straining my ears in case whatever made the noise would repeat it. I almost jumped when I heard it again, closer this time. I took off in the direction it came from, running as fast as I could. It was wrong to get off track like this, but hey, curiosity always was a weakness of mine. I dodged past trees, jumping over bramble that obstructed my path. I almost ran into the source of the scream, a boy that sped past me, as if he were running from something. I skidded to a halt, watching him sprint in the opposite direction. I glanced back to where he had come from and jumped back in shock, barely avoiding the snow white beast that galloped past. I groaned, knowing it was only right now for me to help him, especially since he was alone. I bolted after them, drawing the knife from my belt. The beast had caught up to him, its nostrils flaring and golden eyes flaming with anger. He hadn’t noticed my presence yet of course, I mean, who would while running from an enraged... Well… I’m not quite sure what the creature was. The most obvious thing I’d noticed of the boy now was that he wasn’t wearing a mask.   
“Hey!” I yelled, trying to get the boy’s attention.   
“Huh?” He seemed surprised, looking back to see me. In doing so, he wasn’t aware of the log obstructing the path a few paces ahead, and he tripped, skidding along the ground for a few seconds before coming to a stop. He was almost on his feet in an instant, but the feline like monster was already upon him, raising a paw to slice him to ribbons. I took a running leap, landing heavily on the animal’s back. It was distracted now, disregarding the boy and now focused on throwing me to the ground. I grabbed fistfuls of its chalk toned hair, fighting to stay where I was. I clenched the handle of my knife in one hand, reaching around to the side of its neck to slash through the flesh.   
“Sorry,” I muttered to it as my wrist flicked forwards, silver meeting white, which soon turned to red. The wound ran from one side of its jaw to the other, and it dropped quickly, almost instantly defeated by the laceration. I leaped off its back, gaze now shifting to the boy who watched silently. He was still breathing heavily, visibly impressed and still shaken. I sheathed the knife again, posture returning to my stance. His eyes, er- eye, was focused on mine, and he had a very puzzled expression.   
“Th-they’re gray now, they were yellow a second ago!” He exclaimed. I had to laugh, as I found it funny. I gave him credit for being able to tell my eye color from behind the glass that separated my eyes from the air.   
“That doesn’t sound like a proper thanks to me,” I proclaimed, a grin playing on my lips.   
“Thanks,” He wheezed, standing up. He brushed the spores that had fallen on him to the ground, clapping his hands together to rid them of any excess. He was a tall boy, standing almost a foot taller than me. His hair looked like ash covered wheat, blonde while it was still gray. The one eye that remained uncovered was an odd tone of yellow, not gold, but almost a crystal-like yellow green. His skin seemed an unnatural pale tone, most likely from being exposed to the air.   
“Why aren’t you wearing a mask?” I questioned, tapping the side of my own for clarification. He seemed confused at the question.   
“Why do I need one?” He asked. This boy obviously wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box.  
“It’s called the toxic forest for a reason,” I told him, reaching into my backpack. I knew It was a good idea to have bought two masks before entering the woods. I tossed it at him, and he flinched, catching it awkwardly. After placing it over his face, he replied.   
“Thanks… but who are you?” He asked, head tilting slightly to one side.  
“I’m Gina, and you?”  
“I go by Idio,” He said, coughing after he’d finished speaking. I grimaced, observing quietly. I’d stopped for too long.   
“It was er-nice to meet you Idio, but I really have to be on my way,” I said, eyes drifting to the watch on my wrist. The tiny replica of the sun had already drifted past the halfway mark, noting that I only had a few hours of daylight left. At the mention of my departure, Idio’s face fell.  
“But- don’t you need this back?” He asked, gesturing to the mask.  
“You can just keep it,” I began to head back to the path I was following. I heard footsteps behind me, drawing nearer. He wouldn’t let me leave. “What?” I grumbled, turning back to face him.  
“Can I come with you?”  
“What? No!” What was this guy’s problem?  
“Why?”  
“Because… I haven’t got the time to drop you off at where you need to be-”   
“I’m not going anywhere,” He cut me off quietly, his eye gleaming like a sad puppy’s would.  
“Don’t you have family looking for you?” I sighed, trying to suggest a reason why he’d need to go on his own.  
“I haven’t got any,” He replied, not seeming disheartened in any way. It struck me a bit sad to hear him say this.   
“Oh… well… I’m busy. You’ll have to find your own way out of the forest,” I started to walk again. He began to follow. “Idio…” I looked back at him out of the corner of my eye.   
“Please, just until we get out of the forest. Then I’ll leave you alone,” He promised, a pleading tone in his voice. Why was he so stubborn?! I sighed in defeat.  
“Okay, Fine! But only until we leave the forest,” I grunted, beginning to walk. He stared at my eyes again, intrigued.   
“They do change colors!” He practically yelled, making me flinch.  
“Yes… they change colors with my emotions,” I explained monotonously. Many had made this observation; this must have been the thousandth time I’d had to inform why they did.   
He made a small sound of understanding. “What does orange mean?” He asked.   
“Irritation!”  
~ ~ ~  
I soon knew that letting Idio tag along was a mistake. They boy could talk about anything for as long as you’d let him! He asked countless questions and constantly changed subjects. The subject soon fell on my hair.  
“Why is your hair white? You don’t seem old. Your voice sounds like you’re young but I can’t see the rest of your face, so I don’t know. How old are you?” He rambled.  
“I’m seventeen,” I told him, voice an irritated monotone which he hadn’t taken note of.  
“Oh wow, really? I’m seventeen too. But that doesn’t make sense, I thought only old people had white hair! Is that really its color? Or did you get someone to enchant it? I’ve heard that’s popular in big cities,” He asked, not pausing once to let me answer any of his questions.   
“From where I come from, my hair color is normal among everyone,” I said quietly. This sparked a new interest in his mind.   
“Well where do you come from? Is it near here? I’ve never seen anyone else who was your age with naturally white hair,”   
I sighed. “I’m from Enmora. Have you heard of it?” At the mention of my homeland, he frowned.   
“I thought that country was gone,” He said, tone a bit quieter. “Weren’t there only like, a few thousand people living in it? I thought the Ommorians took it over,” I nodded.   
“Yes, they’ve enslaved the lot of us. I’m an indentured servant, assigned to be a bounty hunter. I’ll be freed on my 18th birthday though,” I smiled at the thought. It was only 6 months away. I’d been a bounty hunter for almost 5 years. It was a miracle to have made it this far. The only others that I know have survived, well… I only know of one. His name is Desmond. He lived near me, went to my middle school. We’d been good friends until the downfall of our country. Well, for him, I was just his friend. Me though… I... I was in love with him. I hadn’t seen him in a few months, so I couldn’t honestly say that I’m sure he’s still alive. I like to think he is though. The thought of him made me sigh. “Well Idio, what about you? Where are you from?” He shrugged.  
“I don’t remember,” He replied. Jeez, this guy seemed like he had a bad case of amnesia. Perhaps that was why he thought he had no family or friends. He seemed so… alone. I felt kind of bad knowing that I would send him on his way after we left the forest. It couldn’t be helped though; I really couldn’t have him following me everywhere. It would slow me down on my missions, and he didn’t seem to be good at avoiding trouble. He was wheezing and coughing from his earlier exposure to the poisonous air. It brought a question to my mind.   
“Hey… How long had you been in the forest without a mask?” I asked, glancing back at him. He’d fallen behind a bit more.   
“Huh… Maybe a few hours, I just kinda wandered into the forest without realizing it was the toxic forest,” He explained, coughing thickly.   
“Hm.. alright,” I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. He would have to find his own help if he was poisoned! I could care less about his condition… I mean… at least I think so… No, I’m not worried about him at all.   
“Hey Gina, I have a question.” I frowned. Would he ever run out of questions?  
“What,” I grumbled.   
“Why is your backpack moving?” He pointed at the pocket Tate was staying in, a curious look on his face. I smirked slightly.   
“Oh, my foxsquirrel Tate is in there,” I said.  
“You have a foxsquirrel? Wow that’s so cool!” He exclaimed, sounding like an enthusiastic little kid. Idio acted very young for his age, being intrigued with everything, overenthusiastic, and talking more than any boy I’ve ever met has. “They’re rare, aren’t they? Did you have them in your country? I’ve never seen a real one, only pictures. They’re really cute! I kinda wish I had one. Are they really hyper? Yours seems well behaved for staying in your backpack for that long. What color is yours? Can’t they be brown or black or white? And I heard they can have all different eye colors and…” I began to zone out on what he was saying. He was giving me a headache with all the questions he was asking. We’d been walking for a couple of hours, and for each hour, he’d spent every minute talking. The snapping noise of a twig up ahead brought me back into reality.   
“Idio, shh,” I held up a hand for him to be quiet. The sound of hooves pounding against the ground grew louder as a heard of deer galloped down the path. Idio stood, clueless of what to do. I had to grab him by the arm and pull him out of the way of the blue and white colored creatures rushed past. The animals were an odd sight, only found in this forest. They had long white horns that had all types of small plants sprouting on them. Each had a different pattern on their bodies, but all had the same white fur, accented with light blue. Idio stared at them in awe. It took a second for me to realize my hand was still resting against his arm. My cheeks flushed slightly as I yanked my hand away, crossing my arms. Idio didn’t really seem to notice. He was staring at my eyes again.   
“They’re gold now,” He stated, implying that he wanted an explanation of what the color meant.  
“Amazement,” I told him, watching the last of the deer disappear into the undergrowth.   
“It’s… beautiful,” He breathed, voice soft. I looked away, willing my eyes to turn back to the icy gray color I was born with.   
“Er- we should keep going,” I said quickly, returning to the path and walking a bit faster. Had he just called my eyes beautiful…? No, he didn’t. I decided to ignore it, and eventually I’d forgotten all about the statement. We walked for two hours more, and he continued his endless rambling. I answered questions only when he paused, expecting one. Idio’s cough was getting worse as time passed. I couldn’t get rid of the small worry growing in the back of my mind. Why was he beginning to grow on me? He was so irritating and talkative and just… insufferable. I should hate him, but I was feeling quite the opposite. It was a question I had yet to answer. The trees were becoming more and more widespread, hinting that the forest had almost come to an end. It wasn’t safe to remove the masks yet. Spores still floated in the air, not as dense as before, but still visible. I wouldn’t remove mine until I saw no spores. When it was safe to breathe, I would also leave Idio, and finish my mission. My client was in the city nearest to the toxic forest, so it would only be a little while longer before I’d receive the next quest. The following client was there as well, as the Ommorians informed each person requesting a service where I would be. I was curious to see what I would be retrieving next. My most recent jobs hadn’t been too difficult, as they never really were.   
The sun had descended, and the light allowing me to see was sparse. There were no more spores floating in the air though, and I assumed that it was safe to remove our masks.  
“Idio, you can take off your mask now,” I told him, moving to take off my own. He pulled his off first, breathing deeply as soon as it was resting in his hand.   
“That’s so much better,” He sighed. I smiled a bit, and carefully removed mine as not to damage it. I shook my head, blinking. My hair fell from the front of the mask, the longer strands in the front resting against my collarbone. In the back, it was short and choppy; I sported a black ribbon to make it more presentable. It took me a minute to realize Idio was staring at me again.   
“What?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.   
“You’re… uh… Never mind...” His cheeks were pink, and he stared at the ground. He seemed to be hiding something, but it probably wasn’t important.  
“Well... It’s been… nice traveling with you,” I declared, clearing my throat. “But… A deal’s a deal. I have to be on my way-” I hadn’t finished talking before he interrupted.  
“Please, can I come with you? Just to the city, then you can go,” He pleaded.  
“I’d love to but I can’t…”  
“Please? I won’t get in the way, I pro-”He broke off, coughing heavily, using his hand to cover his mouth. I stood quietly, not wanting to ask if he was okay or not. When he finally stopped coughing, his hand dropped back to his side. His lips were dark with... something. Was that blood?  
“You need to see a doctor,” I advised, brows furrowing. He seemed confused, but followed my gaze. He put his wrist to his lip and seemed shaken at what he found.   
“Wha…” He looked back at me, a scared expression on his face. He reminded me so much of a young child at times, this was one of them. Regret pulled at my decision, but I’d already started talking.  
“Okay, stay with me until we get to the city, where I know a good healer, but… after that, I have to go on my own,” I agreed reluctantly. He nodded for once, still staring at the blood on his wrist. It was like he’d never seen anything like it. I began to walk, not really paying much regard to the boy following me. I wondered if he had money to pay for his treatment. I was betting I’d have to pay for it. Great… What had I gotten myself into?


End file.
